Boiler feed apparatus



May 29, 1934. v. E. MCCOY BOILER FEED APPARATUS Filed July 28, 1930eouc//va M40/f Patented May 29, 1934 PATENT OFFICE BOILER FEED APPARATUSVerl E. McCoy, Milwaukee, Wis., assigner to Lyndon F, Wilson, Chicago,Ill.

Application July28, 1930, Serial No. 471,327

3 Claims.

Y This invention relates to boiler feed water heat-l ers and theembodiment herein illustrated is designed particularly-for the heatingand ejecting of feed water for locomotive boilers.

5; In the effort to increase the operating eiliciencies of locomotives,feed water heaters have in many cases been employed, usually of the kindwhich raise the temperature of the feed water to somewhat under 212 F.andhold it at that temperature at atmospheric pressure until required inthe boiler. However, the injection of water of less than 200 F.'temperature into locomotive boilers tends to lower the pressure andtemperature in the boiler and of course considerable time is requiredforraising such freshly injected feed water to the proper steamingtemperature of the locomotive.v` invention provides means whereby aquantity of feed water can be heated to a temperature-Substantiallyabove 212 F. and held at a pressure considerably above atmosphericpressure so that when this feed Water is injected into the boiler there`is less resultant pressure and temperature drop in the boiler'and lesstime is needed for furthlen-lieating of the injected feed water. For thepreliminary heating of this feed water I employ exhaust steam whichissues from the locomotive cylinders in a very considerable quantityunder normal operating. conditions.

The principal object of this invention is to provide improved apparatusfor preheating of and injecting of feed water `in locomotives andvarious other objects of the. invention should become apparent upon aperusal of this specification and the drawing attached thereto.

In the drawingf" Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic illustration of apreferred form of the invention; and

Fig. 2 `is a partial sectional view of a feed water injector which maybe used to supplant the feed water pump shown in Fig. 1.

In the drawing a pipe 1 is connected with the exhaust steam line leadingfrom the locomotive cylinder (not shown) and is provided with a suitablenon-return reducing valve 2 for insuring a supply of exhaust steam tothe injector 3 not exceeding a desired maximum pressure.

The exact form of the exhaust steam injector is not a part of thisinvention, but a preferred form is shown here in the drawing whichconsists of a steam nozzle 4, a. delivery tube 5, a waste valve 6, awaste overflow pipe 7, the body 8 and a water inlet pipe 9. Water isdelivered from the main water tender tank through the pipe 9, a part ofwhich may, if desired, be by-passed for 5,5 water treatment through thechemical container 11 by an obvious manipulation of the valves 12 and13. The Water is delivered by the injector into a tank 14 and isprevented from rising beyond a predetermined maximum height by means ofa suitable float ball 15 which operates a link 60 16, which in turn byvarying the pressure on a fluid contained in a pipe 17 actuates thesylphon controlled valve 18 to close the latter valve when the maximumdesired water level in the tank 14 has been attained, but to permit thevalve to be opened at other times. When exhaust steam is being deliveredby the pipe 1 and the valve 18 is open due to a low water level thesteam will inject the water past the check valve 19 into the tank 14.The reducing valve 2 will be so set and 70 the injector so proportionedthat the latter will forcey the water into the tank 14 against aconsiderable pressure which Will be preferably about 40 pounds persquare inch, although this may be varied considerably. Y

A thermostat 21 will be employed to operate a valve 22 of suitableconstruction for admitting live steam `from a live steam supply pipe 23through the pipes 24 and 25, through a perforated pipe 26 to therebyraise the temperature of the feed Water in the tank 14 to any desiredtemperature.

In case the supply of exhaust steam should be lacking live steam may beconducted from the pipe 23 through a reducing valve 27, which would beopened for this purpose and regulated to reduce the steam pressurepreferably to about five pounds per square inch. 'I'his live steam wouldthen be admitted through the pipe 28 into the exhaust steam injector toena-ble the operator to replenish the supply of water in the tank 14even though exhaust steam might not at that time be available for thepurpose.

In order that pressure may be maintained at all times in the tank 14 apipe 29 communicates with the interior of the tank 14 and with the livesteam supply and is provided with a lreducing valve 31 which will be soset as to regulate the pressure in the tank 14 at a desired figure such,for example, as 40 pounds per square inch. It is obvious that instead ofemploying live steam for maintaining this pressure in the feed watertank a connection may be made with the compressed air supply on thelocomotive. To prevent the pressure in the tank 14 from rising too higha relief valve 32 will be provided communicating with the top of thetank as shown, and discharge it into the atmosphere.

Should any sludge accumulate in the bottom of the feed water tank it maybe withdrawn from time to time therefrom through the pipe 33 and valve34.

For feeding the water from the tank 14 into the boiler a pump 35, shownin Fig. 1, or the injector 36, shown in Fig. 2, may be employed. Whenthe pump 35 is used the outlet pipe 37 will conduct the feed Water tothe pump 35 which will deliver it through the check valve 38 and pipe 39into the boiler (not shown) as and when needed. The pump will besupplied with live steam through the pipe 41 and valve 42 and itsexhaust steam will be taken away through the pipe 43. j

In case it is desired to use the live steam injector 36, shown in Fig.2, the pipe 37 will take... y

- tank normally-sealed apart from the atmosphere,

the Water from the feed water tank 14 in the same manner as does thepipe 37 while live steam will be admitted into the injector through thepipe 44 under control of the valve 45 and will deliver the mixture ofsteam and Water through the pipe 39 and check valve 38 into the boilerr(not shown).

of these injectors may be varied in the proportions of their parts totake care of different operating conditions. These variations, however,form no part of this invention.

The device operates as follows: Whenever the water level in the feedwater tank'is lower thanV its maximum desired level the float ball 15will open the valve 18 and as soon as exhaust steam is available orshould the operator admit live steam through the reducing valve 27 theinjector 3 will begin to operate and deliver' water` against pressureinto the tank 14, pressure being maintained therein by means of thevalve 31 and pipe 29 connected with the live steam source -or compressedair source. As soon as the proper water level has been attained in thetank 14, the valve 18 will close and cut oi the injecting action of theinjector 3. The thermostatically controlled valve 22 will serve tomaintain the proper water' temperature in the feed water tank. The pump35 or the live steam injector 36 will be employed to inject thispreheated feed water into the boiler when and as needed'.

When the exhaust steam injector alone is used The construction of thelive steam in-' jector is obviously the same as that of the exhauststeaminjector 3 and requires no further descrip`v tion, although it should beunderstood that bothit will, of course, raise the temperature of theWater which it injects into the tank 14 quite considerably and when bothinjectors are used the second injector will further increase thetemperature of the feed Water in an amount depending upon any desiredadjustment made by the operator.

' vIt Ashould, vbe""u`n 1`rstoed' that Vtliis'fi'riveition issusceptible of incorporation in fvarious embodivments all of which willemploy the principles of this invention and remain Within the scope ofthe appended claims.

Having shown and described my invention, I claim: i -1.-Boilerfeed'apparatus comprising a closed an exhaust steamfinwjectorconstructed and arranged fonheatingand supplying water to the,tankagains't pressure, means for controlling operation Vof the injectorin accordance with the tank water levelf'ineansf independent "of theexhast steam for `maintairiinga'A predetermined" water'"temperaturewithin saidv tank; and meansfor deliveringwaterfromnthe tanky:to a Iplace of thereoflf, 'l'.i.., 2f Boiler' feed `apparatus*comprising aclosed tank normally-sealedapart-fromthe atmosphere,- anexhaust steam -inje'etorconstructed-and are" ranged for heatinganddnjecting'-water--intothe tank against sr'iressiire;r mea-nsVfor`-`-maintair-i`inga-f uniform positive .pressure in the-ftank, meansfor controlling the-#operation ofv the injector in* 'ac' cordance withthewater "tank level,- theinostatiel cally controlled-fmeansffor'-'injeeting live if steam into the tank, and means-for deliveringwater from the. tank'tola'lplace-of- 4use thereof;` e

3. Boilerfeed apparatus 'compris-ing aclosec'l tanknormallysea-led apartfrom the atmosphere,u anfexhaust'steam injector-*constructed and arranged for heating 'and-injecting -water-.into` the i ioo

